Harry Potter Mobile Games

• Type: Video Game (Mobile Platform)
• Publisher Label: Portkey Games
• Key Developers: Jam City, Niantic, Zynga, NetEase

Harry Potter mobile games are a category of officially licensed video game applications designed for smartphones and tablets. Published under the Portkey Games label from Warner Bros. Games, these games aim to immerse players in new stories and experiences within the Wizarding World. Unlike games that directly adapt the plots of the books or films, mobile titles typically feature original narratives, new characters, and gameplay mechanics that allow players to create their own unique wizarding journey. These games often operate on a “freemium” model, being free to download and play but offering in-app purchases to enhance or speed up progress. (Portkey Games)

• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (2018): Developed by Jam City, this is a role-playing game set at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the 1980s, after Voldemort's first fall but before Harry Potter's arrival. Players create their own student character and progress through their Hogwarts years by attending classes, learning spells, brewing potions, and uncovering the mystery of their brother's disappearance and the cursed vaults hidden within the castle. (Portkey Games)
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (2019-2022): Developed by Niantic, the creators of Pokémon GO, this was an augmented reality (AR) game. Its story involved a magical “Calamity” that scattered magical artifacts, creatures, and memories (called “Foundables”) across the Muggle world, threatening the International Statute of Secrecy. Players acted as members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, working to find and return these Foundables by casting spells and exploring real-world locations. The game was officially shut down on 31 January 2022. (Portkey Games, Niantic)
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells (2020): Developed by Zynga, this is a match-3 puzzle game. Players solve puzzles to progress through iconic moments from the Harry Potter books and films, unlocking spells, gaining experience points, and collecting famous characters and creatures. (Portkey Games, Zynga)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (2021/2023): Co-developed by Warner Bros. Games and NetEase, this game combines elements of a collectible card game (CCG) and a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Set several years after the Second Wizarding War, players enroll as a new student at Hogwarts, collecting cards that represent spells, magical creatures, and companions to use in real-time strategic duels. The game was released in China in 2021 and globally in 2023. (Portkey Games, NetEase)

The modern era of Harry Potter mobile games began with the establishment of the Portkey Games label in 2017. This created a unified brand for interactive experiences that were inspired by, but not direct adaptations of, the original story.

• 2017: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces the Portkey Games label. (Pottermore)
• 2018: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is the first game released under the new label. (Portkey Games)
• 2019: Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is launched globally. (Portkey Games)
• 2020: Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is released. (Portkey Games)
• 2022: Harry Potter: Wizards Unite servers are permanently shut down. (Niantic)
• 2023: Harry Potter: Magic Awakened receives its global release. (Portkey Games)

The stories and events depicted in Harry Potter mobile games are officially licensed by the Wizarding World franchise but were not written by J.K. Rowling. Therefore, they are not considered to be part of the primary canon established by the seven original novels. The games explore new or previously un-detailed aspects of the magical world, such as Hogwarts in the 1980s or the wizarding community after the defeat of Voldemort, but their plots and original characters do not affect the established narrative of Harry Potter's life.

• The name Portkey Games is derived from the Portkey, a magical object enchanted to transport wizards from one location to another instantly. The name was chosen to reflect the games' purpose of transporting fans to new adventures within the Wizarding World. (Pottermore)
• According to the official announcement, the Portkey Games label was created to give gamers and fans the opportunity to be at the center of their own adventure, with their choices shaping their journey through the wizarding world. (Pottermore)